Stone Cold Steve Austin hosts Chris Van Vliet at his Nevada Broken Skull Ranch for a 90-minute retrospective on his WWE Hall of Fame run, from beer truck baptisms and boss-stunning anarchy to neck-breaking resilience and potential ring returns. The Texas Rattlesnake dissects character origins, greatest rivals, Stunner hall-of-famers, and modern wrestling shifts, blending nostalgia with unfiltered candor. Austin's tales affirm his enduring grip on wrestling's Attitude Era soul.
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| Steve Austin WWE Poster |
Ranch Life and Solid Ass CatsAustin relishes Nevada desert isolation over LA, roaming public lands for hunting, skiing, and UTV racing on Kawasaki-backed supercharged buggies hitting 250 horsepower. He celebrates 10 years with El Segundo Brewing's Broken Skull IPA, hands-on with hop selection amid craft beer's churn. His "solid ass cats"—Pancho horse-nuzzling barn dweller and hunter Macho—steal Instagram via viral Christmas posts, embodying ranch companionship.
Austin crushes myths of beer sobriety, savoring Friday IPAs and Napa Pinot Noirs while picking spots to dodge hangovers, echoing old-timer advice. Japan tours peaked at 100+ beers spilled in Andre-style chaos, force-feeding teetotaler Goldberg for ribs.
Beer Celebrations Unsolved Origin
Austin credits ECW's Sandman for beer-bashing precedence but insists his post-match guzzling evolved organically—possibly snagging fan cans—without conscious copying. Empty-stomach dumps after waits delivered real buzzes from 12-18 packs, fueling exit-line sways. Coors Light balked at peak heat; Brock Lesnar job fallout killed early Stone Cold branding, birthing independent Broken Skull years later.He confirms ring pours included all brands, no exclusives, thriving on spilled chaos over full chugs.
WrestleMania 38 Return Prep and Reality
Dallas' WrestleMania 38 lured Austin from 19-year retirement against Kevin Owens, handpicked for promo chops and safety sans storyline build. Lacking workout ring, he ran ropes and bumped backstage, potatoing Owens stiff from ring rust—19 years punchless—while lamenting prime-era denial. Owens' Hall of Fame trajectory made ideal foe; Austin teases "never say never" despite knee replacement erasing arthritis limp.Pre-WM19 hospital scare nearly sidelined Rock rematch; post-match retirement felt final until Owens revival.
Moments That Forged the Icon
Austin pinpoints star-making explosions: King of the Ring 1996 "3:16" sermon blasphemy, WrestleMania 13 bloodbath submission loss to Bret Hart showcasing dual-edged psychology, and escalating McMahon terrorism flipping authority. Richard Kuklinski's Iceman inspired anti-hero menace; glass-shatter theme flipped competitor switch instantly. Unplanned promos, middle-finger rebellion, and catchphrase merch (Austin 3:16 shirts) weaponized blue-collar rage.Crazy vehicles—deer trucks, zambonis, forklifts—amplified chaos; beer baths and "What?" chants marked heel teases.
Neck Break Defiance and Stunner Lore
Owen Hart's 1997 double-team snapped Austin's neck, paralyzing him 60 seconds; he feared career end but returned doubting longevity. Greatest Stunners: prime foes shining; worst elicited reluctant laughs. Dream misses: CM Punk, Goldberg; Bret chemistry peaked bloody classics. GOATs list honors in-ring technicians over drawers.Stone Cold persona unleashes passion Steve tempers; 90s grit trumps today's athleticism.
